Gaspé Peninsula
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The Gaspésie (official name) or also Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé is a peninsula constituting part of the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, in Quebec, Canada. It extends into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and is separated from New Brunswick by the baie des Chaleurs and the Restigouche River.
The interior is rugged, being a northward extension of the Appalachian Mountains. This range is called the Chic-Choc Mountains. A section of the International Appalachian Trail travels along the peninsula. Route 132 circles the peninsula, with one branch following the coast and the other cutting across the peninsula at Sainte-Flavie. Forillon National Park is found at the northeastern tip of the Gaspé.
The easternmost point of the peninsula jutting into the Gulf of St. Lawrence is called Cap Gaspé. The name "Gaspé" comes from a Mi'kmaq word gespeg meaning "land's end".
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[edit] Inland
Route 198 leads inland from the northern shore of the peninsula. It soon climbs up from sea level, and enters the forest of the Gaspé Peninsula, crossing several small rivers before reaching the town of Murdochville at about 660 metres above sea level. Murdochville has had a varied history, and is now home to several wind turbine farms, which together have one of the largest wind generating capacities in the world. From Murdochville, Route 198 winds its way along the York River to the city of Gaspé. The inland portions of the peninsula are also home to the Chic-Choc Mountains, part of the Notre Dame Mountains, an extension of the Appalachian Mountains.
[edit] Southern coast
At the communities of Restigouche and Gesgapegiag there are sizeable Mi'kmaq reserves and settlements. A small vigorous remnant is left of a once-thriving English-speaking community, found on the coast of Baie des Chaleurs, opposite New Brunswick, especially in the communities of New Richmond and New Carlisle. The vast majority of people speak French as their first language. As a tribute to the colonial Loyalist settlements, Duthie Point in New Richmond has recreated a Loyalist-theme site (called le village loyaliste).
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